Russian Plov…A One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

Plov is the ultimate Russian comfort food. It’s a one pot chicken and rice recipe that is packed with flavors and spices and just takes a few steps to reach ultimate rice perfection. Perfect rice and tender chicken that beg you for just another bite. Plus it’s SUPER freezer friendly! How awesome is that!

Every once in awhile, a dish comes along that is just perfect. In fact, it would be disrespectful to the generations before to change it.
France has duck confit, Italy has risotto, the US has BBQ and Uzbekistan has “plov”. Whether you call it, pilaf, polow, pulao, the basic idea remains the same, a simple rice dish with complex flavors and old tradition. While it may be a bit timely, the end result is perfection in a bowl. Delicious, individual rice grains fall away from tender and succulent meat; the perfect bite on a fork.

Plov is actually the Russian pronounciation of the word common to all of the Caucas, Turkmenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan and India. “Plov” seems to be first seen in Samarkand when Alexander the Great of Macedonia asked his cooks to create a dish that could be used for him to entertain “company”. “Plov” recipes were handed down not from parent to child but instead from merchant to merchant, from traveler to traveler on the Great Silk Road. Although several changes were made due to local available ingredients and tastes, it has remained in some shape or form as a popular dish among all eastern cultures from China to Azerbaijan.

Today “plov” is known as the most popular and common dish to Uzbekistan. Natives of this country claim that there are more than 50 varities of this dish. It is used when a friend comes over, as the main dish at a wedding and even funerals. Some use different meats, nuts, dried fruits, spice etc, but the technique remains the same. However, the classical “plov” recipe remains the same for over 1000 years. There are certain traditions that must remain the same when cooking a classic “plov”.

1. You have to use a heavy bottomed pot which they call a “kazan” to cook the “plov”. Cast-iron works the best. I love my Lodge Dutch oven for this. “Plov” cooks on a very high temperature, therefore you need something that is going to be a good insulator of heat and cast iron proves to be one of the best.
2. Rice must be washed throughly and preferably steeped in water before adding it to the “kazan”.
3. Plenty of carrots must be used. In fact, they even state that the carrots to use are light orange in color not the deep orange-red that I have here. *Unfortunately, regular orange carrots were all I could find and my “plov” still tastes amazing, so I would not worry too much about it.*

This technique also inspired my other favorite comfort food…Arroz Con Pollo, which is very similar except with Latin flavors.

Now while this dish is not difficult, it does allow a few hours. So give yourself some time to make it right.

The best part about this plov is that it truly is at its heart a one pot chicken and rice recipe. And best of all it is in fact super freezer friendly. So make extra and freeze the rest!

Alright…ready…here we go!

First we start off with the rice. The rice is crucial! You must use enriched, parboiled long grain rice. Not the healthiest, but it works the best.

Rinse it through, well, under cold water. Then transfer it to a bowl and let it soak in cold water while you make the rest of the plov. There is my over the sink colander…best. purchase. ever.

Next comes the meat. Traditional plov is made with lamb. However, I have made it with beef and chicken and it was fantastic. In this instance, we are using chicken breast and boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Before you get dirty with your meat, heat up your heavy-bottomed pan with coconut or any other high temperature smoking point oil. You wanted it smoking hot.

Cut up the meat into medium cubes, a little bigger than bite size.

For the chicken breast, first cut them into strips.

Then cut them into cubes

The chicken thighs just cut into rough pieces. Each thigh should be cut into 2-3 pieces.

Season the meat heavily with salt and pepper. Then add to your pot carefully so not to burn yourself. You may need to do this in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan. Get them really nice and golden brown.

While the meat is browning, Lets prep our veggies.

Cut off the ends of the onions. And then cut in half so that it is easier to remove the peel.

Next, slice each half of the onion in half.

Now slice the onion horizontally.

Do the same with your other onion.

Peel all your carrots. If you have a Vitamix or food processor I would highly recommend pulling it out. I used to cut up the carrots by hand, but there really is no need for that nor the callouses caused by the knife after cutting up all those carrots into matchsticks.

If you are using a food processor then go ahead and use your medium shredder attachment.

If you are using a Vitamix then you are going to want to do a wet chop. Add your carrots to the Vitamix and fill it up with water just above the carrots.

Pulse it a 2-3 times until they are all shredded. Pour into a colander to pour out excess water.

Next, add the onions to the nicely browned meat. Toss together. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes over high heat.

Go ahead and add in the carrots and toss everything to combine. Let cook for 15 minutes.

This time around I did not use actual bulbs of garlic (because I forgot) but instead I used individual cloves as you see in this picture. If you are using bulbs of garlic, you pretty much end up with perfect roasted garlic and you can reserve it in the fridge if you add in extra bulbs into the plov.

Now, cover this whole mass with boiling water, just enough to cover the top. Add in salt, pepper and cumin. Taste the liquid. You will be using the seasoning to season a lot of rice. So make sure it’s extra seasoned. If using whole bulbs of garlic, go ahead and nestle them into the mixture, cut side down into the liquid. You want to use boiling water because otherwise the mixture would cool off and your cooking process would be interrupted.

GO AWAY. PLEASE PLEASE Please whatever you do DO NOT STIR! You will disrupt the wonderful magic that is about to happen! Go talk on the phone, watch half a movie, drink some wine…whatever you want…just do not touch this for 45 minutes.

After the 45 minutes you will end up with something looking like this

Once this time has passed crank up the heat. Remember that rice you had steeping in the water? Now is the time to drain it and prepare for its final resting place. Once drained, lay the rice CAREFULLY over your carrot, meat and onion mixture. Pretend you are gently “blanketing” the mixture with your rice.

Again, take BOILING water and SLOWLY cover the rice just about 1/2 of an inch above the rice. See all that beautiful brown goodness come up to the top? That’s your flavor right there, that’s what you did all that work for.

Let the rice cook on HIGH heat until there is no more liquid. If you see liquid still bubbling up from the top, it isn’t done. If you see liquid bubbling up at the bottom, it isn’t done. Only when it is completely dry is it done. And this will take about 30 minutes. Once the rice is dry, cover and let stand for about 30 minutes. Then you can gently fluff it with a fork. Make sure to mix well as a lot of the meat, carrots and onions will be at the bottom.

Grab a forkful

Or a bowl.

Russian Plov...A One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe

Plov is the ultimate Russian comfort food. It's a one pot chicken and rice dish that is packed with flavors and spices and just takes a few steps to reach ultimate rice perfection. Perfect rice and tender chicken that beg you for just another bite. Plus it's SUPER freezer friendly! How awesome is that!

Instructions

First we start off with the rice. The rice is crucial! You must use enriched, parboiled long grain rice. Not the healthiest, but it works the best.

Rinse it through, well, under cold water. Then transfer it to a bowl and let it soak in cold water while you make the rest of the plov.

Next comes the meat. Traditional plov is made with lamb. However, I have made it with beef and chicken and it was fantastic. In this instance, we are using chicken breast and boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Before you get dirty with your meat, heat up your heavy-bottomed pan with olive oil in it. You want it smoking hot.

Cut up the meat into medium cubes, a little bigger than bite size. For the chicken breast, first cut them into strips. Then cut them into cubes.The chicken thighs just cut into rough pieces. Each thigh should be cut into 2-3 pieces.

Season the meat heavily with salt and pepper. Then add to your pot carefully so not to burn yourself. You may need to do this in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan. Get them really nice and golden brown.

While the meat is browning, Lets prep our veggies. Cut off the ends of the onions. And then cut in half so that it is easier to remove the peel. Next, slice each half of the onion in half. Now slice the onion horizontally. Do the same with your other onion.

Peel all your carrots. If you have a Vitamix or food processor I would highly recommend pulling it out. I used to cut up the carrots by hand, but there really is no need for that nor the callouses caused by the knife after cutting up all those carrots into matchsticks.

If you are using a food processor then go ahead and you your medium shredder attachment.

If you are using a Vitamix then you are going to want to do a wet chop. Add your carrots to the Vitamix and fill it up with water just above the carrots.

Pulse it a 2-3 times until they are all shredded. Pour into a colander to pour out excess water.

Next, add the onions to the nicely browned meat. Toss together. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes over high heat.

Add in the carrots and toss everything to combine. Let cook for 15 minutes.

Now, cover this whole mass with boiling water, just enough to cover the top. Add in salt, pepper and cumin. Taste the liquid. You will be using the seasoning to season a lot of rice. So make sure it's extra seasoned. If using whole bulbs of garlic, go ahead and nestle them into the mixture. You want to use boiling water because otherwise the mixture would cool off and your cooking process would be interrupted.

GO AWAY. PLEASE PLEASE Please whatever you do DO NOT STIR! You will disrupt the wonderful magic that is about to happen! Go talk on the phone, watch half a movie, drink some wine...whatever you want...just do not touch this for 45 minutes. Allow this to cook over MEDIUM heat. You want it to be heavily simmering. But not a roasting boil.

Once this time has passed crank up the heat. Remember that rice you had steeping in the water? Now is the time to drain it and prepare for its final resting place. Once drained, lay the rice CAREFULLY over your carrot, meat and onion mixture. Pretend you are gently "blanketing" the mixture with your rice.

Again, take BOILING water and SLOWLY cover the rice just about 1/2 of an inch above the rice. See all that beautiful brown goodness come up to the top? That's your flavor right there, that's what you did all that work for.

Let the rice cook on HIGH heat until there is no more liquid. If you see liquid still bubbling up from the top, it isn't done. If you see liquid bubbling up at the bottom, it isn't done. Only when it is completely dry is it done. And this will take about 30 minutes. Once the rice is dry, cover and let stand for about 30 minutes. Then you can gently fluff it with a fork. Make sure to mix well as a lot of the meat, carrots and onions will be at the bottom

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What People are Saying:

Absolutely can’t wait to make this soup. We’re going to have up to 10 inches of snow here and this will be a great warm- up after digging out my car! Thank you.

2018-02-20T18:53:58-05:00

Absolutely can’t wait to make this soup. We’re going to have up to 10 inches of snow here and this will be a great warm- up after digging out my car! Thank you.

https://girlandthekitchen.com/testimonials/11162/

This recipe was delicious and “do-able” even on a work nite! It was “fall off the bone” good. I do think I ended up with too much juice simply because I was afraid I’d burn them if I didn’t add just a little more vino. Thanks so much!

2018-02-20T18:54:08-05:00

This recipe was delicious and “do-able” even on a work nite! It was “fall off the bone” good. I do think I ended up with too much juice simply because I was afraid I’d burn them if I didn’t add just a little more vino. Thanks so much!

https://girlandthekitchen.com/testimonials/11163/

Mila, you’re a genius. This recipe couldn’t be anymore straight forward and simple with an outstanding finished product. Seriously, a child with a little supervision could make this.

2018-02-20T18:54:18-05:00

Mila, you’re a genius. This recipe couldn’t be anymore straight forward and simple with an outstanding finished product. Seriously, a child with a little supervision could make this.

https://girlandthekitchen.com/testimonials/11165/

This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup was FANTASTIC! The broth is so flavorful and fresh tasting. Although the soup is lighter, it is still filling and super comforting. This will be added to my rotation for sure!

2018-02-20T18:53:44-05:00

This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup was FANTASTIC! The broth is so flavorful and fresh tasting. Although the soup is lighter, it is still filling and super comforting. This will be added to my rotation for sure!

Rachel, glad to see you here. Honestly, this is one of my fave foods EVER! I even have a batch frozen in the freezer. Did I mention it’s freezer friendly? Well it totally is!!! I have been blogging for so long and unfortunately never really took my photography that seriously…so now that I have the equipment…I figure why not make some of my favorite recipes and just show them in a better light 🙂 Glad we became bloggy friends!

Ohhh, I’m just loving this dish, Mila!! Your photos are truly stunning and I’m ready to eat that at 10 am, lol. Love the pepper and garlic in it and I’m such a fan of one pot chicken dishes. You are rocking it, Girl!

OMG Robyn thank you so much for the incredibly kind words!!! I love this dish sooooo much! it goes down as one of my favorite dishes EVER! Ultimate comfort food in a bowl… Even now that I am vegan I will remove the meat and eat an entire bowl of rice.

Mila, you’re killing me! This looks ridiculously delicious! I can practically taste and smell this dish through the computer monitor! The colors are just brilliant and omg just look at those whole bulbs of garlic! I bet the house smells incredible! This is on my to-make list this weekend!

I often learn something I didn’t know from your blog, Mila … great reason to keep coming back!! This looks and sounds just so flavourful, but also sounds pretty easy to make. The colours are incredible too from all those chopped carrots!

Firstly – that overhead shot – WOW. You nailed it. Secondly – this is so interesting! Carrot puree? Fascinating. Never heard of it, ever. The pureed carrot is a minor problem because my blender imploded the other day. Do you think shredded it will produce a similar flavour? Probably not I guess….I should just go get a blender, shouldn’t I? 😉

Number one… THANK YOU!!! I wasn’t as happy with these photos. Number too… Yup shredding definitely will produce the same quality… I used to cut everything by hand when I first started…. I learned my lesson and started taking the short cut with the vitamix 😉 I just like the speed that I can get this done with when I throw it in the Vitamix. And 3rd… Go get a vitamix… It’s fab!!!

Thank you for the correction 🙂 And as I wrote it does come from the central Asian nations, however we consumed it quite regularly back in Russia and most people relate plov to Russian cooking despite its roots. But that is exactly why I wrote the small brief on plov because it really does deserve a history lesson.

Wasted hours making this tonight in my lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven. It BURNED very badly and is inedible. I followed your instructions exactly, but had to greatly reduce the heat because the water was disappearing too quickly. I am extremely disappointed to have wasted so much expensive chicken.

Laura, It’s always so frustrating when a recipe doesn’t work out. I’m so sorry that happened to you. I was surprised to read your comment, as I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and also shared it with family and friends and have never received feedback that it didn’t work perfectly. I can’t say exactly what happened in your case, but perhaps it was a variation in your stove? I know that some stoves burn hotter and as a result the heat within the pot was greatly increased. I would consider maybe just trying to do it over moderate heat next time. I hope you’ll give it a try again – it really is fantastic and well worth the time it takes to make.”

Zhanna, I am so sorry to hear that. Sometimes if you do not use a thick bottomed pot the bottom can burn…I know I had it happen to me once. However even if the bottom is burned the rest will still taste fabulous!

I love your enthusiasm but this is not plov…this is rice kasha with meat and vegetables.
I’m sorry but shredded carrots really have no place in plov and neither does dill weed (isn’t sprinkling dill weed on food a Russian custom?). Carrots should be cut into thick matchsticks, then they caramelize and develop so much more flavor when you fry them with your meat and onions.

If I may suggest, cutting your chicken in bigger pieces and adding turmeric powder to amp up the flavor. I do love the fact that you added so much garlic and that you used a dutch oven – I also have a Lodge. I look forward to exploring the rest of your blog!

James, I am sorry you feel this way. I have tried it with the large matchsticks and with the Vitamin as well…served both to guests from the motherland 🙂 And no one seemed to notice a difference! So considering how time consuming it was to chop everything by hand and that I typically had my munchkin tugging at me… I decided to go with this method because it just happens to make my life easier. I am a HUGE sucker for authenticity myself so I appreciate the feedback! But when the difference is so minimal it is unnoticeable I can live with that 🙂

Plov has a different origin , it is not Russian meal and never been. As you said in the text , it has connection or deep roots with Central Asia . Nobody cooks plov with chicken , mainly we use lamb or beef . Before to post name for the recipe would be wise to study the topic, how to cut correctly the veggies and some other details . Photos are really master piece.

Hi there Elvira! I always love the history of the food and try and preserve it as much as possible! And that is why I state that traditionally it is made with beef and lamb. However, in my household we try and abstain from eating red meat or any meat all and so I prefer the lighter chicken plot. As for the cutting technique, I used to do it all by hand and then by sheer accident tried it in the vitamix and it worked out just fine! So with the minimal difference that it poses for us, I will take the short cut 🙂 Thank you for the compliment on the photos!!!

Mila,
Despite some of the comments, this is an amazing dish. For me it doesn’t matter where the dish came from but as long as the ingredients make a delicious combination, I’m sold. I ONLY like chicken, no other meat, so I appreciate you posting a plov recipe with chicken. The instructions on cooking everything on high seemed off to me so I used my best judgement and tweaked with the temperature and the plov came out just fine! Nothing burned… No time wasted. BOMB recipe! Thank you 🙂

Hi Mila!
I came across your website because I googled “chicken plov oven” and yours was the at first that came up! The reason that I was using that search combination was because I’ve tried several other recipes/heat variations and each time the bottom of of my Le Creuset Dutch oven has had a thick black coating of burned food. I was hoping for a way to cook the chicken and veggies on the stove top, as most recipes state, and then do the “walk away and wait” parts in the oven instead, for more even heat. What do you think? Any recommendation of oven temp and time? (I appreciate your enthusiasm in response to other comments, and hope to hear from you soon!)

Hi Ellie!!!! Alright so traditionally it IS all done on the stove…and traditionally YOU DO get that burned bottom. That being said… AFTER you add the rice, and bring it all up to a boil, throw it into a 325 degree oven… for about 25 minutes. Check on it. Then if the rice still isn’t cooked do it for about 10 more minutes. It will not be exactly plot…but it will be pretty darn close 🙂 I would love to hear your feedback!!

Hi again! I finally got around to making it a second time with your recommendations, and it worked beautifully–thank you!
Also, do you have a recommendation of just how much salt to use? I’m allergic to cumin so I can’t use that, but I’m always wary of over-salting a dish. Thanks again!

Hey honey! I am so glad it worked out!!! SO in order to make sure the salt is spot on… TASTE the liquid before adding the rice. It should be a TAD over salted because you have to salt all that rice. But taste taste TASTE! That is always the best solution! I never write exactly how much salt because I think it all depends on the person. But tasting is key!

Hello! I just wanted to ask a clarifying question…is the only time the pot is covered at the very end in step 18, once it’s all cooked and it needs to rest? If not, can you tell me which step numbers I should be putting the lid back on the pot? Thanks so much!

Another question though: Like the poster Ellie above, I’ve also wanted to try finishing it in the oven so as not such a thick black crust on the bottom. Would I still leave it uncovered if I put it in the oven at the end? Many thanks again!

See there are certain recipes that I am stickler for the original cooking technique and this is one of them… I have never finished it off in the oven to be quite frank with you. But yes would most definitely leave the lid off because again if you left the lid on…the rice would stick together because so much of the moisture would stay in. Regarding the back crust… the only time I ever had this happen was when I A. Did not have a thick bottomed pot or B. I cooked it past the time that the liquid was evaporated. I would really recommend investing in this pot for the plov. It is not pricy and I have used it for a number of dishes on this blog always with success! http://amzn.to/2s4Jy84

Hi again! I made this the other day, and have some more questions. I used a Le Creuset Dutch Oven, but still got an extremely thick, hard-to-scrub-off layer of black burnt food at the bottom. You had mentioned only getting the blackened bottom if you left it on the heat too long at the end past the point of the rice drying out—but mine blackened much earlier than that, while cooking the chicken and vegetables.
This brings me to the question of heat: I follow recipes very closely, and noticed that there is mention of turning the heat up to high, but nothing other than that. Could you clarify, please? I’ve gone through each step below that involved the stovetop and marked which heat level is mentioned:

4. “Smoking hot” (presumably high heat)
6. “Get them really nice and golden brown” (presumably high heat)
12. “Next, add the onions to the nicely browned meat. Toss together. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes over high heat.” (high heat)
13. Add in the carrots and toss everything to combine. Let cook for 15 minutes. (What level heat?)
14. “Now, cover this whole mass with boiling water, just enough to cover the top.” (What level heat?)
15. “GO AWAY. PLEASE PLEASE Please whatever you do DO NOT STIR! You will disrupt the wonderful magic that is about to happen! Go talk on the phone, watch half a movie, drink some wine…whatever you want…just do not touch this for 45 minutes.” (What level heat?)
16. “Once this time has passed crank up the heat.” (From what level? Everything mentioned so far has been high)
18. “Let the rice cook on HIGH heat until there is no more liquid.” (High heat)

Hey Matt! So here is the deal… clearly your heat is VERY HIGH. Meaning your stove BTU is super powerful (yay you!!!) Now that being said, this means that you need to adjust your heat so that it works FOR YOU. Meaning…if its burning while its on a super high temperature…then do medium high. My recipe will work for almost everyone…but everything has an exception as you can imagine 🙂 So the whole plov cooks on high…except the part where the veggies simmer RIGHT BEFORE adding the rice. I just edited that so that it makes a bit more sense. The other question I have for you…if your pot is starting to scorch so much earlier… when you are doing the veggies… there is a possibility that because your pot cooks at such a high temp… your veggies liquid is evaporating faster…if this is the case…and you are running out of water just add in more water this should help with the scorching issue!

Hi I really am trying to find a good plov recipe.
I have a few questions if you can help! 🙂

– So I brown the meat, then add onions cook 10 min, add carrots cook 15 min, add water and cook additional 45 min QUESTION wont that create very dry meat? Or will the long cook time make it tender? (I’ve had bad experience with dry meat in plov before…)

– Can you give me an estimate of how much cocnut oil I should be using? Couple TBL ? 1/4 cup? Hard for me to guess. .

Hi Kelli!
Question 1: No it absolutely will NOT create dry meat. It will be tender and beautifully juicy. You are cooking it in moist heat (ie it is partially submerged in the water) so it will not dry out.
Question 2: Do 1-2 tbsp of oil 🙂

Hello, Mila! I’ve recently made several recipes from your fabulous blog and have loved them all! Especially since I am diving into eastern European/Russian cuisine nowadays. I’d really love to make this dish soon and am wondering if there is another rice that could work for this recipe? We always have basmati and calrose (short grained usually used for sushi) on hand because they are the only organic varieties offered at our bulk food store. Would I just need to adjust the liquid to try a different rice? What do you think?

Hi Mila!
This is my favourite plov recipe. I lived in Russia for several years and always remembered how much I loved plov. Now that I’m a mom, I really wanted to make this yummy dish for my daughter. I am happy to say that I have made this many, many times over the last few years and it is her FAVOURITE dish that I make. The first time I made it, it didn’t turn out quite as I had hoped and I realized that my pot was not wide enough so the rice didn’t cook properly. It’s really important to have a wide pot so that you don’t blanket the rice too thickly on top. Once I got a bigger pot, I was able to make this successfully every single time. I do cook it on slightly lower than high heat, more like Med-High because my stove gets very hot. Works perfectly every time! Thanks for this!

[…] carbs: rice. A staple in several parts of the world, rice has always been one of my indulgences. Plov, a classic Russian favorite, is a slow cooked combination of rice, meat and spices and resides as […]

Hi! I’m Mila, the Girl and the Kitchen. And I believe in Good Food. Done Right. Having worked in many incredible restaurant kitchens as a chef, I know what it takes to make delicious, wholesome food with simple ingredients and bright flavors! I believe that anyone can make great-tasting food by knowing a few tricks of the trade. Come along as I teach you to prepare incredibly tasty and wholesome meals made with simple ingredients that are loaded with flavor in no time at all!